CAIN, THE WAGES OF SIN

JUDE 11

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was

written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might

have hope. The lives of Old Testament characters provide us with many useful lessons.

We learn from those who lived righteous lives and served God.

Abraham

Elijah

Amasiah

We also learn from those who were not pleasing to God and lived lives of unrighteousness.

Ahab

Jude 11 Woe to them! For they walk in the way of Cain, and abandon themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error, and perish in Korah's rebellion.

King Saul

Cain

Cain’s life is a lesson in negatives.

The Birth Of Cain

Genesis 4:1-2 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have gotten a man from

the Lord.”

Cain was the first of many children.

Cain’s name meant “to get” or “possession.”

Genesis 5:4 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years,

and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

Genesis 4:2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now

Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Cain’s Occupation

Cain was a farmer.

Abel was a shepherd.

Genesis 4:3-5 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to

the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel

and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering.

The Worship

Abel’s sacrifice was a blood sacrifice, a recognition of sin and the need of forgiveness.

Prescribed by God.

Cain’s sacrifice was vegetable offering, usually associated with a thanksgiving offering.

Why did God have respect for Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s.?

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more

acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts; he died, but through his faith

he is still speaking.

Abel offered the kind of sacrifice that God wanted at least at that particular time

Hebrews 9:22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is

no forgiveness of sins.

Cain’s sacrifice was not according to faith.

He offered to God what he wanted to offer to God.

Will worship has always been condemned.

Nadab and Abihu are good examples of this

Leviticus 10:1-2 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them. And fire came forth from

the presence of the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.

The Sins Of Cain

Genesis 4:5-8 So Cain was very angry, and his countenance

fell. The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you

not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you

must master it." Cain said to Abel his brother, "Let us go out to the field." And when they were in the field,

Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.

He lacked faith.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him,

for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek

Him. The sin of will-worship.

He apparently saw no need for the forgiveness of his sins.

Genesis 4:9-10 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" And the Lord said, "What have you done?

The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.

He showed no sorrow or remorse.

The sin of resentment toward God and Abel.

This resentment led to envy and hatred toward Abel.

Which led to murder.

I John 3:11-12 For this is the message which you have heard

from the beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and

murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's

righteous.

He lied to God.

The sin of arrogance: “Am I my brother’s keeper”

Cain’s Punishment

Genesis 4:11-12 And now you are cursed from the ground, which

has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive

and a wanderer on the earth."

He was cursed.

The ground was not going to yield its strength as it had before.

He was driven away from society and home to be a wanderer.

Sin always separates.

Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it

cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from

you so that he does not hear.

Family from family.

Friends from friends.

Man from God.

The Mercy Of God.

Genesis 4:13-15 Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me this

day away from the ground; and from thy face I shall be hidden; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will slay me."

Then the Lord said to him, "Not so! If any one slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold."

And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who came upon him should kill him.

God allowed Cain to live.

No one was to punish Cain.

God marked him so all would know.

Genesis 4:16 Then Cain went away from the presence of

the Lord.

Some Of The Saddest Words In The Bible

I don’t know how people live without God in their lives.

To be without God is be without:

Help in time of need.

Comfort in times of sorrow.

Hope

The necessity of a heart of faith towards God.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and

that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

LESSONS TO REMEMBER

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent

sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his

gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved;

but he who does not believe will be condemned.

The importance of faithful obedience to God in worship.

We must take God at his word and worship Him as He has said.

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that

cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming

fire Matthew 7:21-23

"Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you;

depart from me, you evildoers.'

We Are Not Judge And/Or Jury.

Romans 12:16-19 Live in harmony with one another; do not be

haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge

yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the

Lord." Hebrews 10:30 For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine,

I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of

the living God.

Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door; its desire is

for you, but you must master it."

The danger of sin.

I Peter5:8 Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one

to devour.

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into

temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

The Importance Of Attitude.

Sin can and will snowball on us.

Cain’s envy led to jealousy.

His jealousy led to resentfulness.

His resentfulness led to anger.

His anger led to hatred.

His hatred led to murder.

All of his sins led to condemnation.

The Awful Wages Of Sin.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father

suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the

wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the

glory of God.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift

of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Wicked Have Always Persecuted The Righteous.

Ahab and Jezebel persecuted Elijah and other prophets of the Lord.

Jeremiah was persecuted by almost all of the people of Judah.

Jesus was persecuted by the Pharisees and others Jews.

All the apostles were persecuted.

II Timothy 3:12 Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ

Jesus will be persecuted.

Before We Can Be Saved There Must Be A Realization of Sin And A Penitent Heart.

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and

pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its

effects.

I John18-10 If we say we have no sin, we deceive

ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our

sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his

word is not in us.

Repentance Is An Important Part Of Salvation.

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the

gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your

sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 17:30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but

now he commands all men everywhere to repent.

The Mercy Of God.

God is merciful to us. We don’t deserve it either.

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through

faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God-- not because of works, lest any man should

boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared

beforehand, that we should walk in them. II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about his promise as some

count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should

reach repentance.

God was merciful to Cain. He didn’t deserve it.

We Need Atoning Blood To Take Away Our Sins.

Hebrews 9:13-14 For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the

living God.

I John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of

Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

HAVE YOU CAME IN

CONTACT WITH THAT

CLEANSING BLOOD?

• Given by David Hamlin on September 16, 2007 pm Hollister, Missouri church of Christ www.hollisterchurchofchrist.org